


A Saboteur's Destruction, Salvation of the Heart

by PaperAnn



Series: PaperAnn's Bingo 2018 Works [6]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Breakfast in Bed, Breaking Up & Making Up, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gabriel Being Gabriel, Getting Back Together, Hospitals, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Nurse Gabriel (Supernatural), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plot, Sabotage, Sleepy Cuddles, Supportive Sam Winchester, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-05-20 21:56:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14902757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaperAnn/pseuds/PaperAnn
Summary: Gabriel's constantly rushing to people's aid in the ER, but when Sam Winchester comes in, his personal knowledge is what kept the kid breathing.  An allergic reaction later, plus the stitches that Sam came in for to begin with, and Gabriel decides the kid would do better with some supervision....Even though they didn't exactly part on the best of terms.The reason Gabriel's sticking around long after Sam's transfer out of the ER is bittersweet.  He’s been craving closure about what happened to them for a damn long time.When they finally speak face to face, Sam and Gabriel’s worlds are rocked: their relationship was sabotaged.  Both thought theotherbroke up withthem.  They’d been tricked and need to figure out why—all while dealing with their lingering emotions of a love that never faded away.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Two fics in three days! It's been a hot second since I managed something like this :) Feeling pretty damn good about it, too!
> 
> As you can see, there are two more chapters of this fic that will be published: and soon! I've already marked the fic as Explicit, because even though there isn't any smut in this chapter, you guys know me—it'll be happening soon. Tags will be added as chapters are added, some that aren't spoilers may go up at random while I'm drafting! My drafting process is long, with that being said, it means all mistakes are my own.
> 
> I should be able to finish this one up pretty quickly. Enjoy the first chapter of some Sabriel fun, and let me know what you think! Love you guys! xoxo

The entire situation was weird.  Gabriel knew damn well he was making it weirder.

Maybe weird wasn't the right word, so much as…complicated.  And complex.  Perhaps uncomfortable...  Tricky?  Oh—whatever!

Gabriel was currently watching over Sam Winchester, who was KO’d in a hospital room where Gabriel worked.  Except, the reason for his current bed-rest was a short-sighted fluke, it wasn’t supposed to have happen.  Not if the hospital ER had done their damn job.

First off, Sam had come in for a work-related injury and required stitches.  It hadn’t gone according to plan, because little Sammy, here, had a weird allergic reaction to the numbing agent that was injected before they could suture.  It was even worse, because that gash just so happened to be on his goddamn noggin.  The only reason Gabriel knew it was an allergic reaction and not some underlying condition, was because he was friends with Sam’s brother, Dean.

Well.  On-again, off-again friends.  Currently, they were on-again because he’d just saved Sam’s life.  Even though Dean may not know it—yet.

Gabriel had gotten drunk with Dean on so many occasions, and during one he demanded if Sam was a freak because of _millions_ of things that he _was_  allergic to.  Even Gabriel admitted it was a bit excessive.  Sam didn't go anywhere unless he was armed with multiple EpiPens and a brave gumption to take on a world that was attempting to take _him_ down.   
  
With all his problems, Gabriel was impressed that Sam didn't have agoraphobia, it was like the universe was out to fuck him.  Not in a sexy way.  Gabriel was well-aware of all the kids problems and woes, all his flaws and, yes—Dean had even asked Gabriel (in his opinion, as a nurse) why the hell Sam’s body hated goddamn _everything_?

Since Sam was in the ER and he came in alone, he didn’t have the chance to fill out all the paperwork before the incident.  When Sam woke up eventually and Gabriel chatted with him, he had a gut feeling this was another brand-spankin'-new item to add to the mammoth list of things of allergies.  You can’t get poked with everything when you ‘explore.’  Even allergy tests would only scratch the surface of Sam Winchester's issues.

Oh—speaking of the ER: Gabriel was an ER nurse.  ...That’s exactly where he was _supposed to_ be right now, actually.

Instead, he’d paid off one of his friends and co-workers (they did have ER training—it wasn’t someone incompetent) in both money and shift rewards to pull off this scam.

Sure, nurses could bounce around _hours,_ but, uh, they were not really entitled to switch around fields of expertise.  It’d be like Gabriel going in blind to deliver a baby.  In theory, he could do it because he knew the mechanics, but it’d be stupid as all hell.

So Gabriel was being stupid.

For Sam.

And Meg was down there, taking one for the team.  Until the kid woke up and all of Gabriel's worries were assuaged.

Gabriel had not contacted Dean yet.  He knew the guy would storm in here like a Tasmanian Devil and leave nothing but insanity in his wake.  Gabriel had the corner market on insanity right now, and no one was taking his crown.  Once Sam woke up, sure, he’d speak to Dean.  But!  He’d let the kid do it, _if_  Sam thought it was the right call.

All because Gabriel was worried.  Maybe…he was a little more than worried.

Okay, so the truth was bound to come out—Gabriel wasn’t merely _Dean’s_  friend.  He wasn't lying—Dean griping  _had_ been the way Gabriel found out about the fuck-ton of allergies plaguing Sam.  However, Gabriel and Sam…may or may not have had _a thing_ going on there for a hot second.    
  
That was, until Sam, out of the friggin blue, fell off the radar.

It wasn’t like Gabriel was demanding an explanation, he wasn’t laying in wait to corner him and shout out his demands.  No, he still cared about Sam and wanted to make sure he pulled through!  Was that wrong?  And…maybe, while he was a little loopy and out of it, Gabriel could use his medicated state to his advantage.  Ask Sam some questions about how their relationship crumbled before he knew it had cracked, then suddenly blew away in the wind…

Late afternoon was when Sam finally showed signs of life.  Thank God, because Gabriel was beginning to worry.

He was doing his ‘rounds’ on the floor, since he was technically still at work, but every moment of free time was spent hidden away inside that hospital room with Sam.   _Perhaps_ , holding his hand.  And talking to him in a hushed voice—kinda, possibly, sort-of mentioning that he missed him.  Bad.

…It was during one of those monologues that Sam’s eyes were closed one minute and open the next.

“G-Gabe?”

The man in question shot up in the seat, retracted his hand and nervously laughed.  “Uh.  So how long were you awake, by chance?”

Sam’s face melted into an expression of wonder as he stared at Gabriel, and it was unnerving.  Everything in that stare told him that he’d heard the entirety of the confession, and that revelation led Gabriel to loudly clear his throat.  Change the subject.  Get outta there.

“Long enough, huh?  Well, kiddo, I’ll go grab your doctor and have her do a check-up on you!  See how you’re doing!”  And so help him, in that fight or flight phase—Gabriel took off like he had wings.

As he stomped down the hallway to find the doctor, he realized how pissed off he was with himself.  All the risks he took, the lengths he had gone to in order to make sure he was there for Sam when he woke up, everything just exploded in his face!  Nothing had gone according to plan, but when did it?

Knock on wood, he prayed he didn’t get fired for this stupid and _risky_ scheme to stay by Sam's side.  It wasn't worth losing his damn job!  ...or was it?

\------------------------

“You were lucky, Sam,” their doctor on staff, Ellen Harvelle mentioned offhand as she finished taking down his vitals.  She had _also_ been playing blissfully unaware of Gabriel's random presence up on her floor, and he couldn't thank her enough for turning a blind eye.  “The reaction was violent, I’ve never seen anything like that with a localized injection.  If Gabriel hadn’t called anaphylaxis before it happened, well, we may be in a _very_ different part of the building right now.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Sam was fighting through a dry throat, and Gabriel felt awful for him—he’d been through the ringer.

“Gabriel,” Ellen paused to stare him down, and he wondered if the jig was finally up.  “Help Sam, here, with some water.  Change the IV fluids and see if he needs help using the bathroom.  We’ll check out the blood panel, and depending on how it looks, we can discuss when to release Sam.”

“Yes, ma’am!”  He saluted, except now he was in a situation, a hellish one, really.   
  
He'd backed himself into a corner, all by his lonesome, with no way in sight about how to get the fuck out.

“Come here, Gabe,” Sam ordered, trying to sit up in the bed and…well, this _was_ Gabriel’s job.

He flashed a ‘one moment’ signal and pressed the buttons to elevate the incline of the bed.  Sam looked much, much more comfortable when he was upright.  Gabriel handed him off the sought-after cup of water, but before switch out the the IV fluids, Sam’s hand shot outward and grabbed his wrist.

“Woah, careful, there.  You’re still fragile goods, we can’t have you breaking.”  Gabriel tried to keep things light and playful, “Hey, seriously.  Don’t worry about anything besides getting your strength back, okay?  Relax.  I know it’s tough for you, but you can’t fight me on this one—”

“I’ll relax.  I’ll be a good patient.  But you owe me a conversation!  I’ve been trying to have it for God knows _how_ long _?_   And thanks, seriously.  Thank you for saving my life.  But you and me, Gabe, we—”

Gabriel had to stop him with an abrupt, “Woah.   _You’ve_ been trying to have a conversation?  No.  Sick invalid, or not, you _can’t_ bullshit me.  You fell off the map, Sam!  I couldn’t get a hold of you, not by calling, texting, hell—you even blocked me on Facebook!  How is that for fuckin' mature, you—”

“ _Wait—_ ” Sam's complexion washed ghostly white, and it had nothing to do with his medical condition.  “Gabriel…I thought _you_ blocked _me_ …and when I tried to call you, it sent me right to voicemail!  My texts said they weren’t delivered—you’ve gotta believe me!”

By the look on that gorgeous face?  Those puppy dog eyes filled with helpless fear as he hauled Gabriel closer with determination, even though his strength was halved at best—  
  
Fuck…Gabriel believed Sam.  He actually, honestly believed him.

Except, if he took Sam’s words as truth, knowing that Gabriel's own experience was just as real—the _ramifications_ …

“Wait.  That would mean…someone sabotaged us,” he realized in shock and sat down on the edge of the bed.  “Who the hell would—”

Before he could even brainstorm, Sam lunged forward and planted a mind-blowing kiss on Gabriel’s lips that was equal parts relief and desire for more.  Gabriel couldn’t help but lean into it.  He’d missed Sam’s touch, most definitely his mouth, too.  Sam's lips were moving with the intent to return all the sentiments (ahem, _confessional_ ) Gabriel had blurted out when he assumed Sam asleep— it was very clearly he had listened to Gabriel’s admissions while he feigned unconsciousness.    
  
The little shit...not that Gabriel minded what transpired in the moment, now.  Not one bit.

Sam pulled away just enough to breath, whispering, “S-sorry.  Knowing that you _didn’t_ ditch me?  That you still….you know.  It just makes me so damn happy.  You were the one that got away, Gabe.  Except you didn’t get away, or…if I’m reading this right, you don’t want to?  Please, tell me I’m making sense.”

“You do,” Gabriel confirmed before Sam gave himself a heart-attack.  “Now, we gotta figure out who the hell wanted you or me outta the other’s picture?  This wasn’t a casual mess-up.  This took time, planning and balls to make sure we never found out about it.”

The only thing was…now that Sam had made that initial contact and that point about ‘not getting away,’ it was all Gabriel could think about.  Fuck!

Here Gabriel had been, ready to get Sam to fess up: to _finally_ tell him what the hell he’d done wrong (but most importantly, see how Sam was, he was clearly still in love with him) and he had his answer.  Even if it hadn't come in the form he thought it would.  It turned out Gabriel…hadn’t done anything wrong.  And Sam looked so goddamn amazing, telling him that he missed him, that he still wanted him…

“Screw it,” Gabriel grumbled under his breath, and dove back in.

He cradled Sam's cheeks—making sure to avoid that head wound—and kissed him back even harder.

Luckily, the kid was only recovering and resting.  Sam didn’t have any broken bones or a contagious disease.  And screw it, he didn't hold back on what he craved—Sam scooped Gabriel up and pull him in close.  Those muscled arms wrapped around him?  Holding him tightly while he fisted and tugged at the scrubs Gabriel was wearing?  God, it was a reunion, they were living the impossible.

Sam was treating it as such, he was not pulling any punches.  The moment Gabriel licked across the seam of his lips, Sam’s mouth was open and his tongue was hungrily brushing against his.  It was a wonder that Gabriel didn’t end up straddling Sam.  Sure, he was practically in his lap—but he was still sitting, not, like, riding him.  Like he _wanted_ to be doing…

“When can I get out of here?” Sam moaned against Gabriel’s neck, nipping and sucking lightly enough to make the nurse shiver, but not leaving behind any marks.  “And when is your shift over?”

“Damn.  You really meant it.”

“The damage was done,” he tried to explain, while his hand roamed dangerously low on the poor excuse for pants Gabriel was wearing.  He had to stop Sam before a friggin tent was pitched in his damn scrubs.  “Whoever sabotaged us thinks it worked.  They don’t know what’s happening right now.  And now we know, we can be ready for anything.  But I missed you.  So fucking much.  I…need you.”

“I can see that.”  Gabriel chuckled and cuffed a finger under Sam’s chin, drawing his focus.  “How about this.  I’ll try and expedite your release?  But I gotta make sure you really are okay.  I got a scare with you in the ER.  Kinda the reason I greased a few palms and got here to watch over you.  Heh, it's pretty pathetic what I'd still do for you, even though I thought you dumped me.”

“Oh—”  His eyes lit up in recognition before they glowed with a hint of mischief.  “You _did_ go to a lot of trouble.  For someone you’re supposed to be pissed at.”

Gabriel narrowed his eyes at Sam’s quirking grin and snipped, “Don’t get too cocky.  I can see you getting cocky, right now.  But _you_ can’t keep those hot little hands off me, so it works both ways, champ.”

“You’re right…” Sam leaned in and sucked his earlobe between his teeth, a move that made Gabriel unintentionally moan.  “Can’t help myself.  It’s all I’ve wanted, you’ve got no idea.”

“No…I do.  That’s the thing.”  He had to jump up, away from the bed.  Being so close to Sam was dangerous, especially with this discovery.  He’d been fuckin' sucker-punched with this information, and the more the kid tempted him; the more Gabriel wanted to wheel him out, ignoring the doctor’s orders.

He’d broken enough rules today, right?

Yeah.  He had, actually.

Sam watched him retreat like a kicked puppy.

“Hey,” Gabriel lowered his voice softly and said, “I’ll check on those blood panels myself.  I’ll get everything on the fast track.  And you sit tight, use that big, beautiful brain of yours to think.  Brain _storm_.  Who hated us together?  Enough to go to all that trouble.  Who had access?  Who was enough of a cocksucker to ruin my life?”

With a nod and a deep breath, Sam agreed.  “I’ll try and figure it out. And Gabe?”

“What’s up?”  He was already halfway out the door, ready to make good on his promise and hurry things along.

“I…love you. Thank you.”

Fucking hell, his heart skipped a beat.

With a tight smile, all Gabriel could do was nod.  He was still stunned to a certain degree.  “Me, too.  I’ll say it back when we solve this mystery.  Gives me incentive and a kick in the ass.”

As he turned out into the hallway, he was rigid and scared.  Yes—scared.

Maybe he lied.  Maybe he hadn’t said the real ’L’ word because the pain of the breakup, of feeling thrown out like trash (even though he had the God's-honest truth now) was too great.  Gabriel had _still_ experienced it, and it didn’t make it that less real and gut-wrenching when it happened.  The scar over his heart was beginning to fade, but it had left a wound, there was no two ways about it.

Maybe when he received vindication, maybe when he was with Sam again he could bounce back.  Rebuild.

Until then, there were other items to check off his list, to keep him busy.  Like getting his man out of this joint and finishing his shift so they could piece together this puzzle.

\--------------------

Sam hated the hospital.  He hated the way they always smelled.  It never mattered if you were in the lobby or a patient room, the sterile way it felt and the stupid paintings on the wall drove him nuts.  One couldn't help but stared off at them, become too familiar with the crappy brushstrokes and you ended up struck with the visual when you closed your eyes.  It was seared into his brain to the point of being able to paint a replica at home.

He didn’t bother turning on the TV because his mind was running faster than the Kentucky Derby.

Who would do this?  To _anyone_?  Let alone him and Gabriel?

He sniffed the air as another round of antiseptics were sprayed into the already-stagnant hallway, and he cringed.

Everything in this place made him flinch because of his stupid allergies.  It wasn’t like at home, when he took a bite of something and he began to itch.  No, everything here was injected and the side effects kicked in instantly and he was fucked.  It was a race to get patients in and out, it did help with saving lives, he supposed—so when something went wrong the speed only accelerated.

Gabriel may have saved him last night.  It wasn’t the first time.  He made a habit, when they were together, of consistently taking care of Sam.

Having a nurse as a boyfriend really had its perks.  Having a caring, loving and compassionate boyfriend was that much better.  Sam was blessed with both, once upon a time...

It only took another hour until the doctor came in with the good news.  Sam had a clean bill of health and they were going to discharge him.  He didn't have to worry about a follow-up, the stitches on his forehead would dissolve over time by themselves.  Although, when they asked who to call when Gabriel was in the room, both men paused.  They were left wondering if it was the right time to let Dean in on the situation or not…God, his brother could be such a drama queen.

“I get out in thirty,” Gabriel suggested, and told him, “It’ll take them the same amount of time to ready the paper work.  For you to get dressed.”

The doctor cast a curious eye over the pair, and Sam had to mask his excitement: he wanted nothing more.  With a nod, she took her cue to exit, and Gabriel walked over to retrieve his bag of clothes.

When he returned them, Sam couldn’t help but flirt.  “You don’t wanna help me put them on?”

“Why would I help you get dressed when the only thing I can think about is _undressing_ you?” he countered, and it made Sam hot under the collar.  Under his…gown.  Or whatever.

“You better be serious…” Sam warned, because he fully planned on taking advantage of the situation when they arrived home.  He wondered aloud, “Is it better to go to your place or mine?” adding for effect, “You know.  The, uh, less likely place we’d be spotted together.  By whoever pitted us against each other.”

A grin tugged at the corner of Gabriel’s cheeks, “For discretion?  Is that all?”

“Yeah.  Totally for discretion.”  Sam didn’t even wince when Gabriel pulled out the IV catheter.  “I wanna make sure you get a nap in.  I’d like to join you.”

Gabriel burst out laughing, “You’ve been sleepin’ all day!”  It was offhand enough that it didn’t _seem_  like a blow-off, but was it?

Sam wouldn’t lie, he was having difficulty reading Gabriel.    
  
Had so much time gone by, had it _really_ been so long that the small nuances that made him Gabriel changed?  No.  Sam needed to go with his gut.  Be honest.  Open.  That’s what they were with each other, who they were as people.

“It doesn’t matter.  I want to be with you.  Even stupid things like cuddling are basically a fantasy right now.”

Wow, Sam’s fearlessly seemed to garner a reaction.  Gabriel actually froze what he was doing, slow to look up and make eye contact.

“I think…I’d like that, too.”  It was strange, but Gabriel had to deliberate about it.  But what mattered was the end result, right?  “I’ll let you get changed.  Finish my rounds.  I’ll be back, okay?”

“Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

Sam saw it happen for the second time—Gabriel tensing up as he left the room, and he hated it.  Sure, to his face, Gabriel could relax, but was it a performance?  He supposed he would figure it out soon.

The thing was, Sam had lost this man once and it was devastating.  There was no way in hell he was going to let anything like this happen again.  No fucking way.

\-------------------

Unfortunately, Gabriel dropping Sam off ended up being just that.

Gabriel dropping him off.

Even though the nurse was exhausted, overworked, and had been there for Sam (followed by a series of events that left them both emotionally drained), _apparently_ the friend who had sneakily swapped shifts with him needed to call in the favor.  While Gabriel joked it was nice that it was a quick turn around and he was no longer in debt, the timing couldn’t be worse.

So the born-again love of his life, armed with a glorified cup of pure, bitter espresso, tucked him in with a kiss to the forehead and took off.

Except…Sam didn’t want to be alone right now.  He couldn’t.  Not with all these dawning realizations and shit.  So he gave in and called his brother.

Naturally, after hearing what happened and how Sam was in the hospital, Dean came tearing into Sam’s house like a goddamn tornado.  But once he chilled the fuck out and downgraded into a light rainstorm (and used his head)…he was just as gobsmacked about this new development as the other men were.  
  
How did such a bold ploy work out as well as it had, tearing two people in love apart so easily?  Everyone was baffled.

The Winchesters were chilling in the living room, Sam feeling like new—minus his heart doing funny things and some lingering fatigue—and Dean was in shock.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me…”  Disbelief lit up his face and he leaned in, “That’s…wow.  Sam, that’s like, _really_ messed up.  I mean, I was there when you thought it was a break-up, you were gutted, dude.  I’m all for figuring this out, but…how are you feeling?  Knowing that Gabriel never broke up with you?  And it sounds like he was just as broken as you were?”

Sam should have figured that Dean would pry.  For as much as he preached ‘no chick flick moments,’ his brother cared too much.  Especially when his protective instinct switch over Sam flipped on.  He supposed something as crazy as this, if it happened to Dean, would have Sam over-eager and needing every detail as well.

His eyes were slow to meet Dean’s when he admitted, “It’s kind of awesome.  That I wasn’t dumped, like I thought.  When we were together and figured it out, it was almost like we were never apart, you know?  We missed each other, we still love each other,” Sam hesitated to add, “Almost.”

“What do you mean?”  Dean raised an eyebrow when he echoed, “Almost?  You either love each other or you don’t.  And I’m feeling gross from all the warm and fuzzies from here!  You were never over him, it was like you didn't even try.  Which is why _this_ kinda kicks ass.”

“It does.  Kick ass,” Sam nodded his agreement.  “Something’s holding Gabriel back.  I don’t know what, but…there’s this wall that’s keeping him from feeling the absolute relief and excitement that I feel, you know?”

“Huh.”

“Huh?  That’s it?”  Sam was disappointed in Dean’s response, especially because he was best friends with Gabriel from before they’d gotten together.  “You don’t know of anything, some reason why he’s still so guarded?”

“I mean…of course, no one can pull the wool over your eyes again.  Which totally works in your favor.  Maybe when you figure out who did it, he’ll be more receptive?  Your big moment was realizing he didn’t break up with you, and you guys have a future.  Sure, that may be a big deal to him, but,” Dean paused to purse his lips, before he suggested, “What if Gabriel’s big moment is finding the culprit?”

“Are you saying…I’m not good enough for him?”  The wash of discouragement didn't even scratch the surface of how Sam felt about that.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant, like, at all!”  Dean tried to backtrack, regrouping and fixing his wording.  “I mean, it sounds like you guys are good, right?  But don’t you want justice?  Maybe even retribution?  I’m sayin’ that he’s focused on the next step, now that he has you.  Which is a good thing, because he considers you guys back _together_ , you know?”

Sam took a moment and thought it over.  It sounded plausible.  Dean hadn’t been there, and Sam didn’t exactly speak in great detail about their flirting and making out, so that only added more strength and stability to Dean’s theory but…Sam wanted to be enough.  He wanted to be what soothed Gabriel, _Sam_ wanted his boyfriend (he assumed) to find solace in _him_ , not in the antagonist of this...tragedy.

“Gabe is…driven by that kind of thing,” Sam ruefully admitted.  “Retribution, revenge?  He’ll get it.  Especially because of how much pain it caused us.  Do you have any ideas?”

“Okay, let’s think back…this was, what?  About eight months ago?  Where were you then?  We‘ll get to Gabriel second.”  Dean started off the conversation, prompting Sam to think.

“Eight months ago was right before I got my promotion.  I was still working in that damn cubical, I didn’t have my own office yet.  Technically, anyone could access my computer or my phone if I left it unattended at my desk.  I…” Sam wiped a hand down his face when he sheepishly admitted, “I don’t have a passcode on my phone…”

“The fuck?!”  Dean exploded, “You were, and still are, just asking for it!”

“Hey!  It’s not like I have anything to hide!  And it’s a pain in the ass to always punch it in, any and every time I wanted to use the damn thing!” he tried to defend, and weakly added, “Don’t yell at me, I just got out of the hospital,” totally playing that card to make Dean feel bad for him.

His brother ground his teeth, trying to hold back another outburst.  Very evenly, he said, “So literally everyone is a suspect.  Was your Facebook logged in on your work computer?”

Sam bowing his head in shame was enough of a sign.

“Goddammit,” Dean cursed under his breath. “Okay.  So you’re no help.  Let’s…think over to Gabriel.  Now, I know he’s more responsible than you and he doesn’t have a random computer at the nurse’s station to check social media.”

“His phone password is 6969,” Sam said drably.  “It’s hardly better than no password at all.”

“Shit, shoulda seen _that_ one coming…okay!  Come on!  Let’s think about people malicious enough to go to the trouble of breaking into both your phones!  Obviously, they took a huge risk but got lucky when you two dumbasses were sitting ducks.  Even so, they were ready to crack codes and make moves, for real.  Who had a vendetta against either one of you?  Or you two, together?”

Even with Dean’s new tactic and assisting with a new train of thought, (a new angle to focus on) Sam couldn’t come up with anything more than he had this afternoon.  Every thought led to a dead end.  He had no idea who would want to cause them this kind of pain, and who truly had access to both of them.  It was endlessly frustrating and his head hurt from running in circles with his thoughts-

“I don’t know,” he blurted out helplessly.  “I have no idea who’d benefit from us breaking up—”

Dean snapped his fingers and cheered, “Benefit!  Hah!  Maybe it’s not about your loss, but their gain?  Were you dating anyone before Gabriel?  Or after?”

“I can’t remember anyone before Gabriel—”

“As cute and romantic as that is, I’m gonna need you to think a little harder on that one, Sammy,” Dean pushed and urged, “Or Gabriel, was there anyone aching for his job if he was suddenly, I don’t know, completely heartbroken and messing up at work?”

“Oh, wow.”  Sam had never thought of it that way, he was looking for people who wanted to hurt him, not those who’d gleefully stomp on them to move up in the world.  “Wait.  The woman who Gabriel traded a shift with so he could be with me…she knows that he’s been working for over twenty-four hours.  But he couldn’t say no to taking it, because he was abusing protocol.  Gabe couldn't be found out.  That stunt he pulled—it was all for me.”

Sam sat up straighter, realizing, “Why the hell would a ‘friend’ throw a burnt-out nurse back in the ER?  Knowing they could friggin fall asleep on the operating table or hallucinate patients?  She’d also know the reason for the switch was me!  And with us talking, face to face—”

“You guys would finally figure out what happened.  The whole master plan of you never really breaking up,” Dean finished the thought, and demanded, “Who is this chick?”

“I think Gabriel said her name was Meg…” Sam couldn’t come up with a last name, but a light bulb flashed with brilliant intensity in Dean’s eyes, which told him all he needed.  “You know something.  What do you know?!”  He was grasping for clues, he needed to know what _Dean_ knew, because Sam continually came up dry!

“Masters.  Meg Masters.  Gabriel told me over a year ago, she’d transferred to the hospital and wanted to work in the ER, but it was full and they saddled her up with other odd jobs until they figured out where she fit.  She instantly leeched onto Gabriel, he thought it was because she wanted a recommendation, but I’m thinkin’ she’s trying to take his damn job!”  Dean frowned when he wondered, “What about you, though?  That all makes sense from Gabriel’s angle, but how did she get to you?”

“She’s gotta be working with someone else.”  Sam knew it, it only made sense.  “We figure out a link, any link, from her to my work?   _That’s_ who it is.  I gotta tell Gabriel!”

“No!”  Dean jumped up to stop Sam from throwing himself to the wolves.  “This is playing into her hand.  You’ll be a distraction if you go see him.  I’ll stop by, bring him a coffee to thank him for taking care of you.  Quiz him about who Meg knows.  You need to relax and keep thinking on this even more, here.  We’re closing in!”

As much as he hated to admit it, Dean was right.  Sam knew he’d be a distraction, and his brother was damn good when it came to getting shit done.  Slowly, he accepted defeat with, “I’ll see if I can dig up anything on the internet.”

“That’s my boy!” Dean grinned and patted him on the back.  “I’ll text you and let you know what’s going on.  Do the same if you crack any codes.”

Offering a tight, forced smile, Sam’s long arms had just enough reach to grab his laptop.  They’d solved half the mystery, and between his cyber detective work and Dean’s interviewing, they’d figure this case out yet.

\-------------------

When Dean caught sight of Gabriel, even he had to admit the guy looked worse for wear.  Yeah, there was no doubt in his mind that this Meg chick was setting him up for disaster, because no friend would ever push another to work in these conditions.

Gabriel did a double-take when he caught sight of Dean, who lifted the coffee as a nonverbal explanation.  The sheer relief on his face was evident, and he told a  woman sitting on the gurney a few things before he made a beeline towards Dean.

“Thank fucking Christ, is it the good stuff?”  He snatched away the cup, moaned at the smell, but paused to ask, “Are you pissed that I didn’t tell you about Sam right away?  Is this poisoned?  Did you—”

“Just drink the damn caffeine and chill out!  Jesus, you’re at that level of cracked-out exhaustion?”  Dean dropped his voice to a whisper.  “Can you take a five minute break?  I’ve got some info you’re really gonna want to hear.”

Gabriel’s eyes doubled in size and then narrowed when he realized exactly what Dean was implying.  Without anymore explaining required, he rushed to the doctor on duty, to probably to say—rather than ask—about the break.  Then, Gabriel promptly proceeded to drag Dean outside, then down into the alley.  This was good, they had privacy and didn’t have to be looking behind their backs for prying eyes or ears.

“Sam hasn’t been threatened, has he?  What’s going on?  Is—”

Dean quickly shut down Gabriel’s worry with, “Sam’s _fine,_  he needs this crap to be over.  He misses being all lovey-dovey, cuddly and gross-in-love with you and it being returned.  And I know that yer head’s somewhere else, probably focused on who really broke you up.  Now, I’ve got a name.  You’re not gonna like it.  But this person is working with someone else, someone who works with Sam, so you’re gonna have to think really hard—”

“I love your brother,” Gabriel suddenly interrupted with conviction.  “ _Jesus_ , I love that little shit with _everything in me._  But I’m still trying to get over how fucking devastated I was because of how much I loved him, too.  It…doesn’t just disappear, all right?  This is awesome, and I’m working through it, but I need time before I can be ‘lovey-dovey.’  Maybe closure will help.  Now—the name?”

All right, that wasn’t the reason that Dean had thought of, and now he was nervous.  Both of these fools were so head over heels, it was ridiculous, but with that kind of love—if coupled with rejection?  It left a huge scar.  Dean understood.  Something he understood more, was Sam’s tenacity, and how he’d break down Gabriel’s walls faster than the man expected.

Back to the task at hand!

“Meg Masters,” Dean said plainly, before elaborating, “Why the hell would _anyone_ with a brain ask you to work after what you’ve been through?  After that massive double-turned-triple shift?  She wants you to slip up, she wants to take your job.  Just like when you and Sam broke up—she thought you’d be a mess and it’d effect your work.  Heh, little did she know you’re a tough, compartmentalizing sonuvabitch.  Meg’s trying to rattle you, and you’ve gotta hold strong through today.”

“Fuckin’ hell.  Are you kidding?!”  Gabriel was visibly upset and crossed his arms.  “I thought she was a friend.  But…that makes so much sense.  Well, I know who her partner in crime is, at least.”

“What?!  You do?”  Dean balked, and practically begged, “Who and why?”

“Ruby.  Meg’s roommate—”

“ _She’s_ Meg’s _roommate_ now?!” Dean was friggin shook, because she used to be _Sam’s_  roommate!  What the hell?!  “How did that happen?  But more importantly, why do you think it’s her?”

“It’s so obvious,” Gabriel groaned and chugged the coffee like it was water.  “Meg always used to make fun of her.  Told me about her massive crush on Sam.  About her pining and needing to keep it hidden from him at all costs.  That’s when Meg totally broke her heart and told Ruby that Sam and I were together.  But…I heard from Meg after we broke up, Sam went out with her a couple times, so it looked like she got her wish.”

“No, they never went out on, like, a _date_.  Not…really,” Dean winced, because the truth was actually worse.  “They did a work lunch and then dinner.  Sam thought it was totally platonic, but Ruby like, threw herself at him after inviting him back for coffee.  I’ve never heard Sam more freaked out on the phone.  I don’t think they’ve even spoken since.”

“So more than anything,” Gabriel summarized, “Meg probably duped Ruby into doing half her dirty work by making her think she had a chance with Sam once he was single.  Even though she didn’t, she led homegirl on with false hope.  That’s extra-shitty.  Well, I don’t feel horrible for her, after how bad she screwed up my life, but Meg’s the conniving, evil mastermind to this plot.”

“The question is—what do we do now?” he wondered and pointed out, “This, honestly, was about you.  It was meant to fuck _you_ over, Gabriel.  I think whatever justice needs to be doled out, it should be decided by you.”

“Nah.”  Gabriel shook his head, fighting a yawn.  “It’ll be between Sam and I.  We’ll do this together.  We need to move forward together, and this is how we start.”

“All right, I can dig that,” Dean flashed a thumbs up, then asked, “Is there anything else you need?  To help you get through this shift?”  He reached out and placed something in Gabriel’s palm.  “Maybe a little _motivation_ to inspire you to stay strong?”

He opened his hand and quirked an eyebrow.  “Is this…?”

“Sam’s house key,” Dean confirmed.  “You better get your ass over there tonight.  Let him take care of you.  Be with him.  God, just seeing you is all he wants.  Give the guy a break?”

When Gabriel smiled, Dean knew he’d accomplished his own smaller, personal mission and began walking Gabriel back to the ER entrance.

“That sounds like pretty damn good motivation. Thanks, Dean."  Before he found himself getting too sappy, he raised a eyebrow and wondered, "So did you take classes for those speeches, or—?”

“Eh, shove it.  Stay strong, okay?  Put your worries on the back burner until tomorrow!” he shouted as he walked backwards into the parking lot, Gabriel waving before he disappeared back inside.

This was good.  Dean never intended to play cupid, and giving Gabriel the key was a spur-of-the-moment kind of deal—but when he heard his reasoning for holding back with Sam?  He couldn’t help giving the couple a little push.  Dean knew what love was, and what Sammy and Gabriel had was _real_.

He couldn’t believe what happened when they’d broken up—it made no sense—and it always seemed fishy to him.  Even though everything was more of less a conspiracy theory at this point, it made a hell of a lot more sense than either of them going MIA on the other.  Not with how crazy they were about one another.

Things were slowly moving back to ‘right.’  Dean would leave them to it and watch from the sidelines.

\-------------------------

When Sam got off the phone with his brother, who relayed the information that the other culprit was none other than Ruby, it made a startling amount of sense.  A twisted, sick, stomach-sinking amount of sense.  Of course, he couldn’t tackle it and face her, not right now, but the thoughts of what he’d say to her were keeping him awake.

Which was why, when he heard his door handle turning all the way from the other side of the house—Sam assumed the worst.

What if they’d found out?  What if there was a new, bizarre form of torture in the works and they’d assumed Sam would be asleep?  What could they possibly mess up now—

Except, Sam was caught off guard and continued to listen, when—who he guessed was an assailant—began taking off their shoes and…hanging up their coat?  There was also a failed attempt to muffle a set of keys that were set on the entryway table, and none of these actions made sense for anyone other than—

“Gabe?” Sam called out into the near-silence of the house.

Footsteps approached his room and the familiar silhouette answered his question.  “Did Dean give you the heads up?” Gabriel’s voice was hushed, yet playful, “And here I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“No, it is,” his slightly-breathless tone should have told Gabriel enough.  “I had no idea you were coming.  I-I only knew about what we figured out, about Ru—”

“Shh...”  There was a finger on Sam's lips, Gabriel taking a seat on the edge of the bed.  Gabriel replaced his finger with his lips, in a single, sweet kiss, before saying, “Let’s forget all of that?  Be together?  I won’t be good company, I’m sorry, I could’a crashed my car on the way over I was so damn wiped-out but…I couldn’t stay away.”

“Then kick off your old clothes and get your ass in here.”  Sam was already tugging the covers back as Gabriel smiled and begin peeling his clothes off.

Once he was in his boxers, he crawled into bed with Sam and fell asleep the second his head hit the pillow.

That was all right.

Now, Sam was able to sleep, too.

Being wrapped in Gabriel’s arms was something he never dared to hope he’d experience again.  Holy crap, it relaxed him and lulled him into his amazing sense of security, safely on cloud nine, and the fact they were together and overcame the bullshit meant something.

Tomorrow, they’d figure out the nitty-gritty.  Now, Sam melted and soaked up every second of Gabriel’s warmth before he found himself nodding off.  He couldn’t believe happiness was his again, and no one would be able to pull one over or sabotage them again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for SPN Fluff Bingo  
> Square Filled: Nurse AU


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While knowing Gabriel never broke up with him, that they were fucked over by an outside source, was enough to mend Sam's heart—it wasn't that easy for Gabriel. Of course, he was thrilled, he was beyond happy that he had Sam back in his life, but there was something else he needed to complete the puzzle.
> 
> Real answers. Retribution. Some nice, cold-served revenge.
> 
> Sam would be by Gabriel's side no matter what happened, and an unlikely ally was quite willing to pitch in. That would be when Gabriel could finally rest—enjoy the fact Sam was his again—but first, he needed to dole out some karma of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a whoooole lot of fic for me to edit, and it continued growing whenever I went back to read through it. I felt I needed to post it before it turned into a million words, and I do claim all mistakes as my own :)
> 
> Hope you enjoy! <3

Both Sam and Gabriel slept like rocks, making up for both lost hours and lost time together, comfortable and happy throughout the night.

Well, there were time _Sam_ had stirred, only to smile and tuck himself back in.  Not because he was restlessly, but something dormant in his subconscious physically needed to see Gabriel next to him again.  Once Sam felt his warmth, remembered they were together, he'd nod right off—as though he'd never awoken.  He knew after those insane shifts Gabriel would be out cold for a while.    
  
Was it wrong that even after Sam was rested and alert, he took advantage of Gabriel being by his side for every second it lasted?

When the numbers on the clock eventually rolled into the afternoon, and Gabriel began to show signs of life, Sam decided to give him the best morning he could.

Now, normally, this would involve a blowjob or sneakily stroking him into hardness and then riding him.  Except, Sam still had no friggin idea where they stood.    
  
He took the safe route, which meant doting on him.  Coffee, breakfast in bed, that kind of thing.  Enough to show that he cared, knowing Gabriel would never, ever turn down any kind of home-cooked-anything.  And Sam could do _something_.

He had both the plate and the mug ready when Gabriel began to stretch.  Before he even opened his eyes, Gabriel moaned, “Dear lord, what is that amazing smell?”

“Coffee?  Bacon?  Waffles and maple syrup?” Sam listed with a wide grin, ducking in and spreading lazy kisses along the length of his lover’s neck.  “Me?”

“All of the above,” Gabriel decided quickly, and after peeking an eye open, redirected Sam’s lips to his own.  He hummed into the kiss before he sat up and glanced at the nightstand.  “Holy crap, kiddo.  You went all out.”

So what, if Sam preened over Gabriel’s grabby hands that eagerly snatched up the food he began to shovel into his mouth with enthusiasm.  He was thrilled with breakfast, and he made Sam well-aware with borderline filthy noises that had him blushing.

Sam swatted at Gabriel and grumbled, “Stop teasing.  You’re all talk.”

After he swallowed, Gabriel turned to Sam and wiggled his eyebrow, followed by the inquiry, “And how am I all talk?  You expected me to plow yer ass into your hospital bed?  Or sleep-fucking you?  Now you’re distracting me with food!  I can’t be held accountable for not putting out when you’re—”

“I didn’t mean that!” Sam swiftly interrupted, “And…I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have said anything, you’re right.  I’m just…too excited, I guess.  I’ll dial it down.”

Gabriel hesitated with his next piece of bacon, and then shook his head.  “No, Sam.  You don’t need to dial jack down.  I’m the one that— _fuck_.”  He set the plates aside and pulled Sam closer, taking both his hands into his own, and waiting until he had his complete attention.  As if Sam could concentrate anywhere else.  “I chatted with Dean about it a little.  But…I haven’t really told you.  You’re perfect, you’re _so_ goddamn _perfect_ , and I feel broken next to you.  I’m still trying to get back on the horse, to focus on the facts.  You know, get over my heartbreak, that you never caused in the first place.  Last night helped.  But…it’s still there.  I just still need some time to wrap my head around this—heal, I guess.”

Dammit, Sam’s own heart ached for him.  Everything clicked, the invisible barrier between them, all of it.  It made sense.

“Of course, Gabe.  I totally understand.”  Sam squeezed their joined hands, but Gabriel frowned at his answer.

“No…you shouldn’t _have to_ understand.  I-I shouldn’t be acting this way.  Even now, you’re too good for me.  I feel awful, I should have snapped out of it the second I found out the truth, but—”

“But nothing!”  Sam scooted closer, because sometimes the only way to win against Gabriel was being louder and more annoying than he was.  “You said last night helped.  That’s great!  We’ve still gotta confront the assholes who did this to us!  That’s gonna help too.  I’ll be with you every step.  I’ll make you trust again.  I had the same reservations, but I chose love over everything—I chose _you_.”

With his mouth agape, Gabriel was rendered momentarily speechless—Sam’s passion thunderous and powerful.

The silence made Sam bow his head in embarrassment, he hadn’t meant to get so…combative about it.  His emotions overwhelmed him and they were bursting at the seams, he needed to tell Gabriel, so he had excessively, and—

“I choose you, too.”  Gabriel was hushed, but strong.  Stronger than Sam had expected.  “You’re right.  You’re always right.  We can’t go out there divided.  And it’s you, I don’t know what I’m afraid of, I choose you, hell, I'll do it every time.”

“You mean that,” he grinned with the realization.  “You won’t regret it.  I _promise_ , I—”

Gabriel didn’t bother with chatting anymore, he was teeming with emotions now that his walls were down.  “Get your ass back into bed.”

“Y-yeah, okay,” Sam eagerly nodded and did just that.  He tumbled back under the sheets with Gabriel, hope and anticipation coiled tight in his chest.

He had not expected his ex—wait, _current_ boyfriend—to grab a piece of bacon and jam it in his mouth.  Sam laughed and chewed, rolling his eyes, as Gabriel pulled him closer and kissed his forehead.  They continued to munch on the breakfast that Sam had made and held each other.  Kiss one another at random.  Make out languidly and relax, soaking up the other’s company.  It wasn’t too much, yet both were brimming over the edges with joy.  Sam knew this was another step closer, on the road back to what they had.

It was actually a pretty amazing step.  Realistically, how many morning allowed for this kind of luxury?  Being about to indulge in each other, getting reacquainted with a lover who never changed.  It felt like picking up exactly where they’d left off, and that was a miracle all by itself…

“So...I know…” Sam began hesitantly, while Gabriel was softly kissing the length of his neck in a uniquely innocent way.  “I know you’re waiting to say it.  And that’s totally okay, I get it.  Especially now, but I need to say it.”

When Gabriel retreated and faced Sam, the mere sight was enough to take his breath away.  His eyes were warm with affection for Sam, his lips parted, a darker shade of pink from their activities, waiting in anticipation.  Sam’s gaze lingered, he could get lost in him like this all day, it propelled his words further with even more conviction.

“I’m so goddamn lucky to have this second chance.”  He hesitated, then muttered the correction, “Even though there shouldn’t have been a second chance in the first place...whatever.  It doesn’t matter.  I have you in my life again.  And you need to know how much I love you, Gabriel.”

Without missing a beat, he responded, “I know, Sammy.  I feel just as lucky, if not more.”  Gabriel dipped back down and kissed Sam harder.  
  
It caught Sam by surprise, completely unlike the relaxed nature of the previous affection.  Now, there was a drive motivating Gabriel—an intent, an objective.

This was the ‘I love you’ that Gabriel couldn’t bring himself to voice.   _Yet_.  He made sure Sam could feel it, it was a job well done—Sam felt the weight of Gabriel's heart sink into the depths of his bones.  He returned every passionate second the best he could, because this _was_  Gabriel’s way of making a promise, it was his moment.  Sam couldn’t transform this into something it wasn’t.

Except…Sam was only human.  And while Gabriel hovered over him, licking inside his mouth, sucking the breath from his lungs like his life depended on in—Sam moaned into the kiss, unintentionally arching up and rocking against Gabriel’s body.

Shit.  He was hard.  That brush of friction felt _way_ too good—    
  
So far, they’d managed to keep things decently PG-13, but this was an entirely different matter.  Sam hadn’t wanted this to happen, he fought to keep his hips pinned down to the bed!  But when Gabriel made the choice, when he dropped his weight atop Sam’s…it was blaringly obvious.  Both of them were rock hard.

Sam gasped as their cocks rutted together, Gabriel ground down against him, but then immediately cursed under his breath.  Like he couldn’t stop himself, feeling just as powerless as Sam was.    
  
It wasn’t fair.    
  
Everything in them, heart, soul, mind, they knew that they were meant to be together.  It was infinity complicated, since they _were_ together—but there was fine print.  A tiny stipulation written within their current 'terms and conditions,' since this was an (unfortunate) second round.

This could be too much too soon—

Yeah, Sam tried to form words, to stop them and ask, but…it felt fucking _fantastic_ …

Instead, he ended up surging back to Gabriel’s lips, the kiss now filthy and hot.  Things had taken yet another drastic turn, it was obvious Gabriel was just as hungry for this and that continued to fuel the flame in Sam.  He was quivering as Gabriel’s hands began to wander, whimpering as they reached the elastic of his boxers.

One little tug and—

“Gabe—!  Shit, Gabe,” Sam fought to avoid choking on the words, “I want you so goddamn bad.  I can’t even explain how much.  But you told me, you-you confided in me that this _isn’t_ fixed with a snap of your fingers.”

He finally had captured Gabriel’s attention, and Sam was physically pained to rise above this.  “We shouldn’t rush.  We’re on the right track, you know?   _God_ , I _hate_ myself for saying this.  We need to take care of the problem, so we can move on and be…us,” the words sounded so pathetic.  
  
Sam was a wreck, wrangling every syllable that left his mouth.  If he wasn't hyper-focused, there was still a fifty-fifty chance he'd end up bending over and begging for Gabriel’s cock.

Except, he couldn’t!  Not yet.  Not after the actual, honest-to-goodness progress of their breakfast in bed.  And...not before Gabriel could even say he loved Sam.

Gabriel fell back to his haunches and wrapped both fists in his own hair.  “Fuck.  Yeah, okay, I remember that now.”  After a deep breath, he added, "Damn, were you _always_ this strong?  Thanks...for pulling me back."  
  
Sam wasn't sure strong was the correct word, he felt pretty weak-willed and horny as hell, but he'd let him believe that.  Of course, from this angle, Sam could see the mouth-watering outline of Gabriel’s erection tenting his boxers.  He couldn’t help the swipe of his tongue across his lips.

Which Gabriel instantly caught, and exhaled a sharp, abrupt, “Yer killin’ me.”

“You don’t know the half of it.”  Sam quickly realized the easiest way to fix this situation.  “Do you want to take a shower first?  I’ll make sure the coffee pot is still hot, then we can swap?”

“Nah, you go ahead, it’s your place.”  He plopped down on his rear and crossed his legs.  “I can handle coffee.  We’re gonna need it.”  Gabriel paused before reaching out and taking Sam’s hand.  “I wanna take care of this crap.  Today.  Are you…up for it?”

A frown furrowed Sam’s brow.  “Why wouldn’t I be?  I want this over with more than anyone, maybe even more than y—”

“You were KO’d in the hospital yesterday, Sammy.  No offense, but you’re not Superman,” Gabriel chuckled softly.

Sam countered, “Well, you worked, like, three shifts.  Back to back.  They made you delirious!”

With pursed lips, Gabriel simply watched Sam for a while.  As it turned out, he was attempting to hide a glowing smile that eventually bloomed and overtook his entire expression.  With a snort, Gabriel huffed out humorously, “What a pair we make, huh?”

Unable to stop himself, Sam joined in the laughter.  “I know, right?  God.  We’re a mess.  But yeah.  In-patient.  Delirious.  Manipulated.  Whatever.  It’s all gonna end today.  We’ve got this.”

“And!” Gabriel raised a single finger in the air.  “We had the most important meal of the day!”

“If you jamming cold squares of waffles in my mouth is a meal…” Sam said with narrowed eyes, “They're not finger-food—”

“Anything's finger-food if you try hard enough.  Oh, and you didn’t mind licking the syrup off my fingers, if I remember correctly…” The words were mischievous as Gabriel hopped to his feet and rounded the bed, his eyes never leaving Sam as he circled.  “That was absolutely delicious…”

He leaned so far into Sam’s space, they were breath the same air.  His temperature was rising and there was a blush beginning to lift on his cheeks, Gabriel just…did things to him.    
  
Plus, he was predictably _unpredictable_ : once second, everything was casual and easy between them.  The next, Gabriel pulled one, well-aimed stunt that had Sam aching to drag him down for a roll in the sheets—

While trying to anticipate Gabriel's next move, filled with a buzzing energy, and still nose-to-nose—a scraping sound knocked Sam out of his daze.  Gabriel pecked a kiss to his forehead and vanished from his personal bubble, just like that.

Sam jolted upright to find the noise, seeing that Gabriel had grabbed the plate and the mug, setting the clattering silverware on top.  He explained, “Since you made breakfast in bed and added yourself to the menu…” the deliberate wink was added to fuck with Sam, “I’ll do dishes while you take your shower!”

“Gabe, you don’t have to—”

“Nope, I insist!  I’m gonna pull my weight around here.  Because…” Determination drove him to say, “I plan to be here.  For the long haul, okay?  Let me do these things.”

“All right,” Sam nodded slowly, and got out of bed just as slow.  “I’ll…get in the shower.  Once we get ready, we attack this thing head on.  For the long haul?”

Gabriel lit up when Sam said those words.  “You bet.”

\-----------------------------

Deducing that Meg was the ringleader and Ruby had been (more or less) lured in with a paper-thin reward, was enough for Sam decide it may be worth speaking to the woman first.  He'd convinced Gabriel with the idea that maybe they could even get her to flip on Meg.  After all, in the end she never gained a thing—plus, she _was_ Sam‘s roommate and friend...before she pulled a stone-cold bitch move.

Sam was tech-savvy.  Besides not having a password on his phone, which ultimately led to his undoing, he could track Ruby using his own.  His memory was photographic, and luckily—Ruby was predictable.  He used the ‘Find my iPhone’ app from memorizing her Apple ID and password from when they lived together.

After that, they located her at a local Bistro.  Peeking in the windows confirmed she was there having lunch with a friend.

Gabriel and Sam decided the best way to handle this would be an ambush.  From another ‘friend’ dropping in.  Specifically, an older, more distant one.  Who she _would_  catch up with.

That’s how Sam found himself strutting into the Bistro, attempting to mute any rage that spiked to the surface, faced with one of them women who orchestrated the endless world of hurt he'd drowned in.  Needlessly.  Pointlessly.  The lasting effects were real—the scars were still visible on Gabriel, and Ruby—

From the store front, Gabriel could see the tension Sam was holding in his shoulders and he shot him a text.  The vibration in his pocket startled Sam, and although the message completely knocked him off his game…it altered things in a good way.  His mood brightened from something so small, Sam felt the hellfire fizzling out as he approach Ruby—maybe they could turn this around…

All it took was a simple ‘ _Relax kiddo. Breathe. If only ur attitude was as perky as ur fine ass_ ,’ to remind him he had Gabriel.  Right here.

Gabriel: with all his antics, his support, his spirit and energy and soon...his heart back in one piece.  That was their goal, and it was Sam's job to get the ball rolling.

Sam spun around, pivoting along the outside the booth—the timing perfect, because they’d just been handed the bill.  “Ruby!?  Oh, hey!  It's been so long.  How are you?”

“Sam?”  She lit up with a bright smile and shot to her feet.  Even though the hug felt…forced, she asked, “What are you up to?  Sam, this is my friend, Bela.  Bela, this is my friend, and my former roommate Sam.”

“Wait, Sam Winchester?”  The woman appeared simply captivated, “The one you—”

“That’s enough,” Ruby admonished before she said…well, much of anything.

Which was shady.  Exactly what had she been telling people?  And how much of it was fact versus fiction?  Sam felt uneasy about the smallest interaction, but he had to remain, in Gabriel’s words—perky.

“I was gonna grab a coffee, will you keep me company?” Sam asked with his perfected set of puppy eyes as Bela was gathering her wallet and tucking it into her purse.

“Oh, don’t let me stop you!  I’ll catch up with you soon, Rubes!”  She gave her a quick hug, kiss on the cheek, and zipped right out of there.

The interesting part, was Ruby’s awkward, stretched silence.  Normally, she was bold, cocky even.  She was having difficulty even looking for a subject to discuss or stalling, thinking of a reason to dart away.

“Do you…want to sit at our table?” Ruby offered, and scooted right back down.  “What’s new with you?”

Sam had placed a coffee order at the front when he’d walked in and scoped the place out, the barista was walking it to him now.  He thanked her and noticed Ruby didn't ask for a refill or anything.  Knowing they wouldn’t be interrupted, and clearly seeing Ruby wasn't bothering with bravado _or_ playing innocent—Sam decided to strike.

“So, Meg Masters.  How does she compare to me?” Sam then 'clarified,' “As a roommate, of course.”

Ruby’s brow furrowed in confusion and she tilted her head.  “How do you know Meg?  And to be honest?”  Her posture relaxed a bit, Ruby sank back into the booth and drummed her fingers on the table.  “She’s a shitty roommate.  You were the best I’ve had, so give the man a prize!”

With his arms crossed on the table, Sam lowered his voice and leaned forward.  “Is it because I never bargained with you?  Had you to fuck with people’s lives?  With their hearts?  Crushing them up and stomping on them?”  When her eyes widened in realization, Sam pushed harder.  “Why, Ruby?  We were great friends.  I honestly considered you one of my best friends!  And you betrayed that—for what?  Because you wanted Gabriel out of the way?”

“Sam!”  Multiple pairs of eyes flew towards her and she ducked her head, a low, hissed, “It’s _not_ what you think,” made him curious.

“What else could I think?  You admit to breaking into my phone?  Hacking all my social media?  Cutting off all contact, blocking every way I could have gotten in touch with Gabriel, so it looks like I ghosted him, while Meg did the dirty work on the other side?” he laid it all on the table, that the light bulb had illuminated the darkness Sam had been thrust into—he knew the truth.

“Yes.  I admit it.  But I-I had no choice.”  The expression on Ruby’s face was one Sam had seen before.  But never on Ruby, no, Sam had seen it in a mirror.  Complete powerlessness.  “She told me she really wanted this job in ER but she needed to knock someone out to weasel her way in.  Told me about Gabriel, and how she knew I’d have access to _you_ because we were friends.  I fought with her about it, I fought _like hell,_ because I knew how happy you two were together!  I knew it’d crush you, and Meg said that was the entire point—she wanted Gabriel to crack.”

“He didn’t,” Sam growled through clenched teeth.  “So what made _you_ crack?”

“Meg was getting me scripts for painkillers, okay?  Or she'd pocket bottles during inventory, cook the books, and bring them home.  Said I was in her debt.  When I told her I didn’t want to be anymore, she threatened to call in a tip to _our_ company…” Ruby was defeated when she said, “When that happens?  You know damn well they’ll have us all do surprise-piss tests.  I’d drop dirty.  I’d be _fired_ , I’d lose _everything_ , I—”

“Hey—” He reached across the table and grabbed her trembling hand, the picture becoming much clearer.  Not only that, the picture had turned around and completely transformed.  The sudden understanding came with a soothed, “You were a pawn.  Just like we were.  Shit, I’m sorry.  I should've known better...I shouldn't have assumed that you teamed up with her from the get-go.”  Sam stood up and looked to the window, he waved, and sat back down.

While Ruby was confused, her expression locked up and changed to terror at the sight of Gabriel strutting in.  There was a lethal stare-down as he made himself at home in the booth next to Sam.  Even though she was frozen, Sam offered him a smile, and Gabriel nodded, gesturing to their linked hands.

“You guys, uh, havin’ a moment or some shit?”  He was bitter.  Bitter and spiteful.

“She was blackmailed, Gabe.  Somehow, we _all_ got fucked.  Only Meg came up smelling like roses.”  Sam knew he had to mediate, quickly squeezing her hand before releasing her.  “We’ve gotta—”

“Wait—” Ruby interjected, her focus flying wildly between the two men. “Are you—are you two…back together?!”

“Duh?” Gabriel scoffed, not yet placated and turned his attention to Sam.  “How can you be blackmailed into something like that?  Especially, _conveniently_ , when you’ve got a hard-on for the person you’re breaking up?”

“I don’t have a hard-on for Sam,” Ruby snapped, regaining some of her innate gumption.  “I was happy for him!  I was so fucking happy because you two were end game material!  That’s why I went on that date with him: I was gonna spill everything, tell him what really happened, get you two back together, but then…I realized that I _couldn’t_.  I’m sorry, I was a coward.  I chose self-preservation, but you guys still found your way back to each other.  That’s…awesome.”

“Yet, Meg won't stop trying to sabotage me.”  While Gabriel’s outward hatred had faded, he was still wary of the woman in front of him.  “We need something that _we_ can use against _her_.  So far, Meg’s been the puppet master and we’ve gotta snatch up those strings.”

Ruby growled, “Or cut them.”

“Why does that sound so final?” Sam winced at her choice of words.  “And why do I know Gabriel will agree?”  Of course, when he looked at his boyfriend, he was wearing a wicked smile.

Gabriel rested his chin on his closed fist, propped up on the table.  He was Ruby’s captive audience, and gestured for her to continue.  “Do tell.  I love a nice, sharp instrument, after all.  How can we cut this bitch?”

\-----------------------

While Ruby had cleaned her act up, Meg was still hustling on the side—that's where they focused their revenge scheme.  Exposing her side business.

“You’re sure she carries it with her?” Gabriel asked, as the three of them sat in Ruby’s car outside the apartment complex.

Sam was in the passenger’s seat, checking the time.  He was also trying his best to crouch down—specifically struggling to tuck in his long limbs inside the small sports car—as they awaited Meg's arrived home.  “It makes sense.  She can’t leave it at the hospital, she doesn’t trust Ruby with it.”

“Exactly,” the woman nodded.  “It’s always in her purse.  If we can get evidence, then it’s not only about getting her fired, it’s getting tossed in jail!  That sound like a good enough punishment?” Ruby directed her question to Gabriel, who was only now warming up to her.

“I suppose prison _may_ do the trick.”  He hummed, and then wondered aloud, “This won’t get you in trouble, right?”

Ruby shook her head.  “No.  Everything that happened…fuck.  It was a huge wake-up call.  I told you, back then, it wasn’t my choice.  You really think that I’d go to those lengths?  Hack into Sam’s phone?  His social media?  For a friggin date when he was already stupidly in love with you?  I’m not that desperate!  I was doing what she told me, I was locked in a lease, and I had a bad habit.  After all that, I knew I could lose everything in the blink of an eye.  It was scary, and I got help.”

“Yeah,” Sam drew out the word, mournfully, “We kind of get it.  We lived scary and losing everything, too.”

“That’s why we’re all making it right,” she looked around the cab and made eye contact with both men, rather than flickering glances through mirrors.  “Okay, that’s her car!  Guys, get down!”

There was a thud as they ducked, and a muffled, “Ow!” that turned out to be Sam’s head thudding against the dashboard.  Once Meg turned into the parking lot, the trio popped back up, and Gabriel instantly lunged forward, complaining, “I _swear_ , if you jacked up your stitches—!” while Ruby snorted out a laugh, “We should have waited in a bigger car…”

“I’m fine!” Sam swatted Gabriel away, he could feel that the sutures hadn't budged, he’d knocked the _other_  side of his head, thank-you-very-much, and turned to Ruby.  “Everyone good with the plan?”

“Yep.  She usually goes right to her room and passes out after her shift,” Ruby confirmed.  “Meg is out for…God.  Usually, 'til her _next_ shift.  I don’t know why she’s so obsessed with wanting to be an ER nurse, it’s not like it gets easier.”

Gabriel chimed in, “It’s ‘cause she’s a masochist.”

“Hm.  Good point,” Ruby agreed with an appreciative nod.  “Anyway, I made sure to tape the lock on her door, so it can't totally shut.  Gabriel’s the one with the medical eye, I don’t know what I’m looking for.  So once she’s asleep, I’ll text you both, okay?”

“And I’m just being the look-out?” Sam wondered lamely.  “I don’t like that Gabriel’s throwing himself in harm’s way and I’m just…hanging around.  Outside.”

“You’re too big, you’ll make noise,” Gabriel easily explained and poked him.  “The less ninjas in there, the better!”

“You get to drive the getaway car!” Ruby tried to pump him up and flung her arms towards the steering wheel, like he'd won a prize.  Until she realized, “Oh.  This is my getaway car.  It's staying here.  In park.  Yours is across the street.  So, uh, you get to go for a walk and get the other getaway car ready?  But don’t pull it up, not until Gabriel has what he needs.”

“This sucks,” Sam emphasized, and before he could say anything else, Ruby was hopping out of the driver’s seat.

“Meg could have seen my car and wondered why I’m not in the apartment.  I better get in there, make sure she doesn’t suspect anything.  Or worse—notice there's something wrong with the door.”

Gabriel helpfully pointed out, “She _should_ be dead on her feet, I saw the schedule.  I’ll be waiting for the all-clear.  Go snack, be unassuming and shit.”

With a deep breath, they could both see Ruby was nervous.  Covering her anxiety, she slapped on a smile and nodded.  When she pulled her purse close to her body and looked both ways before crossing the street, Gabriel crawled from the back into the driver’s seat.

Both men had their phones out, ready for the ‘Go time’ text, but until then—they’d wait.

A heavy silence passed, Sam debated over and over whether or not this was a good time to reach for Gabriel’s hand or not.  They were both watching the building, knowing that while Meg’s room didn’t have a street view, their apartment window was visible to the road—adding another element to the list of ‘things that could go wrong.‘

It was Gabriel who inevitably broke the silence, casually tossing out, “I’m surprised, that doesn't happen much.  Ruby?  Ending up one of the good guys?  Heh, it’s usually the bad ones surrounding you, there’s never a twist like that.”

“Yeah, I'm glad how it turned out.  I think that’s why I never suspected her.  She was my roommate, you’d think if she was this Big Bad, I would’ve know, right?”  Sam smiled lightly and sighed.  “I hope you guys find what you’re looking for.  That it’s here, and everything goes according to plan.”

“Me, too.   _Fuck_ , me too.”  Gabriel was worrying his bottom lip, his eyes never leaving the apartment window and there was a tension in the car.

Sam couldn’t help but wonder if this closure would help, if this entrapment mission and (hopeful) justice that followed really would jumpstart Gabriel’s healing—Sam feared they didn't have a Plan C.  He wanted Gabriel to be happy, and love him freely again, and if that meant—

Their cell phones buzzed.

It was a group text to both Gabriel and Sam—from Ruby:

_It’s ninja time!_  
_Door’s unlocked_  
_Take your shoes off in hallway_  
_Have cellphone camera ready_

Sam was taken aback by the fact that, when he looked up, Gabriel was already halfway out of the car!  He groaned, opening his open door and locking it from the inside, as Ruby asked them to, before launching into the plan.

Gabriel was too antsy, he was on edge, and Sam flew forward to grab his shoulder before he could sprint across the street.  He spun Gabriel around, straight into his arms and kissed him.  It was sweet, and Sam could feel that it did its job—Gabriel relaxed, slow and steady, right within his arms.

When Sam released him, Gabriel was blinking dumbly, and asked, “What was that for?”

Lying through his teeth, Sam chuckled, “For good luck.  I’ll go…find the getaway car.  Be safe.”

“I will,” Gabriel promised with a smile.

They went their separate ways down the sidewalk, but Sam never took his eyes off Gabriel.  Thank God, that stick-straight spine had loosened.  That righteous anger he traveled with, it had been re-directed.  Just as Gabriel had done for Sam when he confronted Ruby.  He hoped that it carried through until the end.

Sam would be waiting.

\--------------------

Gabriel followed the text instructions to a T, and that began with toeing his shoes off in the hallway—trying not to complain aloud that someone better not fucking steal them!  He was silent as he opened the door and met Ruby, equally quiet, in the entryway.

Her voice was so hushed, he was reading her lips instead of listening to her words, “She’s out, purse is by her desk, by the door.”

“Can’t you just grab it?” Gabriel asked, mouthing back.

Ruby rolled her eyes, exasperated.  “Have you ever tried to move a woman’s purse without making noise?!  Our entire life is crammed inside.  We’re better off going in there, slowly digging through, ‘cause she’ll know if anything’s out of place.”

“In front of her?!"

“It’s the best move, now, c’mon—” She waved harshly, effectively ending the conversation right there.

Gabriel wanted to throw his arms up and argue, it sounded like a godawful idea, but he couldn’t!  This was all about stealth, and apparently, doing it right the fuck in front of Meg was in the forecast!  He had no idea what kind of sleeper she was, if she’d jump at the slightest noise, if she was out until morning, Gabriel knew nothing.  And Ruby hadn’t exactly gone over those details in the plan.

But…Gabriel had, indeed, seen the two-ton backpack of a purse Meg carried, constantly slung over her shoulder.  She never went anywhere without it.  He also knew that women had some kind of organized chaos within those suckers, so maybe Ruby’s idea was best…

Plus, it shouldn’t be that difficult to spot a prescription pad…

It was comical, Gabriel knew he and Ruby looked like cartoons, creeping on the balls of their feet, across the span of the apartment towards the bedrooms.

The thing was—both of them were cracked.

Gabriel could only pray that it was because of Ruby checking in to make sure that Meg was, indeed, asleep.  If she were up and roaming?  They'd be knee-deep in shit.

A simple glance to the woman told him as much, and she painfully sluggishly gripped the handle with the pads of her fingertips and pulled.

Meg’s bedroom was dark.  Much, much too dark for the vibrant sunny day outside, and that’s when Gabriel noticed the heavy curtains hanging over her windows.  That may be something that he needed to invest in during his odd hours, too, they made a helluva difference…

They had to use the sliver of light from the hallway instead of the light from the room to peek around.  Except, when he entered, Ruby wasn’t behind him.  She merely pointed to the ungodly massive black leather pouch that was (thankfully) askew on the table, and hung out in the doorway.  Wait—did that mean—?

It looked like Gabriel was being fed to the sharks.  He was on his own.

It made sense, as he approached the bag.  Two people made more noise than one.  He slowly began to card through, moving her wallet, random make-up items, feminine products, planner, pill bottles— _fuck_ —those made more noise than he’d anticipated and he froze, eyes shooting up to Meg—

She abruptly rolled to the other side of the bed, but Meg was still snoozing.   _Thank fuck_.  She slept like Dean after a couple shots of whiskey.

Underneath all that, he could feel the texture of paper beneath his touch.  Gabriel wedged it between his pointer finger and middle finger to fish it out…

Sure enough, just as Ruby said, it was a prescription pad.

Gabriel’s phone was poised and ready to snap some shots, and he had to shift to catch some light from the hallway to make the print legible.

The parts he really, really needed here was the name of the doctor she’d snatch this from.  The poor sap.  It should have been reported missing, there was a protocol, but who knew how she'd gotten her hot little hands on this.  It was obvious Meg knew how to cover her tracks, to avoid getting caught, especially if she's been doing it for so long.  As Gabriel took pictures, he realized that five sheets had already been filled out.

He continued taking pictures, because this would go further as proof: when these individuals filled these scripts, they could flag them in the system, put a call back to the doctor—the real one who never sanctioned them—and Gabriel’s evidence would put Meg as the indisputable culprit.  Sure, he felt a little but of guilt, throwing these people under the bus, but all this was so damn illegal.  
  
Maybe these people could get the help they needed, like Ruby had.  Hell, now that Gabriel had their names, he could even seek them out and see to it they did since he was getting them caught in the crossfire.

Now, it was just a matter of when Gabriel would present his evidence and make that call.

No.  He decided he was making this happen today.  The rest of the plot came together in his mind, it solidified, and as it did, he ripped off the first blank prescription paper underneath the slew of counterfeit orders.

He shimmed the pad back in, shoved all the junk that was cloaking it back on top, and flashed Ruby a thumbs up.  She looked simply giddy with delight, although quizzically intrigued by the stolen sheet.  Gabriel?  Fuck, he felt that same excitement in contagious real time.  They’d gotten her!

Right as Gabriel was walking out past her, Ruby ripped the tape off and—

“Ruby?  Why is my door open—?” came Meg’s groggy voice.

Ruby had all of two seconds to open her own door right across from Meg’s, because she heard the nurse getting to her feet, and shoved Gabriel inside.

Meg’s voice was full of thunder, when she shouted, “Ruby, I _swear to God—_!”

Gabriel may have been hidden behind Ruby’s door for now, but there was no fucking way he could make it all the way across the damn apartment!  Not with a fierce Meg awake and suspicious, hell no!  He had to get out of here, fast, and—

Oh.  There _was_  one possibility…

\-------------------------

Sam was wringing his hands over and over.

If this wasn’t an undercover mission, he would have called Gabriel a million times, but he couldn’t jeopardize anything.  He could only hunch back in the seat and groan, pretending he liked whatever song was on the radio.

He should be finished by now, right?  Sam wondered what was the worst that could happen if he was caught…it wasn’t like Gabriel was in real, true danger, was he…?

Sam didn’t know Meg Master himself, or what she was capable of.  Still, Gabriel wouldn’t have gone in if she was totally crazy, right?  He had to keep telling himself that.  Or else, he’d expect the worst.

The worst and—

“Holy shit…” Sam blurted out, his jaw dropping.

Gabriel…

Gabriel had just thrown open a window in the apartment and he—

“Fuck!” Sam flung open the door to the car and he was running, full-speed, because it looked like his goddamn boyfriend was making a break for it!

Which all would’ve been fine, if he weren’t on the _third_ fucking _floor_  of the building!

There wasn’t a fire escape.  There wasn’t any kind of ladder, aide on the way down, even a tied-up bed sheet!  It was only Gabriel—eyeing some fucking foliage, hoping it would help his landing—?!  Something must have gone sideways, because he clearly wasn’t using his brain!

Sam was underneath him in a flash with his adrenaline pumping, knowing that he couldn’t shout, with no idea what was happening—but he was a much better target to break Gabriel’s fall.

He hissed out, “Hey, I’m here,” while staring straight up to his boyfriend, who was now hanging onto the windowsill by his fingertips.

“ _Lovely_ —” Gabriel whispered back, “I’m…gonna… uh, catch me?”

“Duh!” Sam growled, his resolve shattering completely.

Gabriel was free-falling for longer than either liked, enough to send a spark of ice through their veins.  But both of them had been in the right positions, they’d made it work—and Gabriel landed on Sam instead of hard, unforgiving pavement.

While it knocked the breath out of both of them, no one was hurt, and Gabriel was ready to get the hell out of there.

He only took a second to kiss Sam, who was crouched from the weight of Gabriel’s fall, then he barked out, “Okay, okay, we gotta go!  Like, _now_!” and took off running towards the car.

Sam was still trying to suck the air back in his lungs—winded the terror of Gabriel hanging off a goddamn window, and then the fright he wouldn’t be able to catch him, or someone would be hurt, or—

But, no.  Gabriel was already in the car.  He had stolen the driver’s seat and he was honking the fucking horn!    
  
Sam had to duck to keep his head down and out of sight as he dashed and circled, hopping in the passenger's side.

He weakly protested, “Gabe, you forgot your damn shoes!” while Gabriel floored it (yes, in his socks), laughing like a maniac.

What the hell just happened?!

\------------------

Although Gabriel had wanted nothing more than to race straight to the hospital, he really was in need of some shoes.

In the process, he was dictating the rest of the plan to Sam.  They had a lot to do, in a short period of time, and it wasn't a priority—it was a necessity.  Gabriel was sick of this invisible barrier, he wanted to wrap this up, put an end to this era of stupid misunderstands and Meg's bullshit with good ol’ fashioned revenge.

Sam whistled once all the texts had gone through, and once they arrived at the hospital (on Gabriel’s day off) he announced, “She’s back to sleep.  Ruby will tell us when she wakes up.  So we should hurry, you really think with the shady shit she’s involved in, she’ll just…”

He was flustered and couldn’t think, Sam wasn't even sure that Gabriel was listening, as tried to keep up with his pace.  Ironically, even though Sam had the long legs that normally left others in the dust, Gabriel’s determination was making him move like a whirlwind.

Once they were climbing the stairs, Gabriel finally said, “Yes.  I do.   _Because_  of the shady shit.  Making herself look like an open book?  It just…makes sense to me.  C’mon.  Look like you belong here.”

They were making their way down through a staff hallway, somewhere Sam really shouldn’t be.  Gabriel could wing anything, smiling to his coworkers, with pats on the back and teasing ruffles of hair—he was in his element.  There was actually one woman’s gaze who lingered on him, and Sam…couldn’t help but wonder if there was something there.

Or something that had been there when Sam hadn’t.

He bristled, because work was Gabriel’s life.  The most logical thing would be Gabriel finding a partner at work, and even though he wouldn’t or couldn’t admit it to Sam…maybe there had been flings.  Suddenly, Sam was on guard, he felt like he was walking among the enemy or some shit—

Gabriel abruptly swung around to one of the computers and logged into the system with the order of, “Tell me if anyone’s closing in.”

“Okay.”  Sam noticed that his voice was terse, and he hoped Gabriel attributed it to the high-stakes situation.

After all, they were breaking into Meg’s work computer.  
  
And Sam was on look-out duty for the second time today.  They were practically career burglars, at this point.    
  
On the bright side, there weren't any windows for Gabriel to jump out this time...

“Bingo!“  And just as he’d anticipated, the woman had saved her passwords—entry into her social media was only a click away.  “Keep an eye out for Ruby’s text, make sure the she-devil doesn’t get up, and go looking for her phone that Rubes hid away.  Text Dean.”

Sam did both, while Gabriel sent the images to his email and continued to upload and save screenshots all along the way.

In a private, friend’s only post, he uploaded a picture of the blank prescription pad with the caption, “Unplanned expenses, who wants to support a local business?” and waited.

Yes, there was a rush of messages to her inbox.  Some were asking if she was insane, others were coworkers, demanding what she was doing and how she got her hands on that, and the last group: the _customers_.  Damn, in the short window of—just under seven minutes—the post had blown up the second it went live.

And one of the people they needed to message was right there.

More evidence was gathered, and as soon as it was—the image was deleted, the messages were gone along with it and Gabriel took the care to deliberately block those coworkers and genuine, honest people who called her out: to buy Sam and himself time.

“Incoming,” Sam hissed, standing up straighter to block Gabriel so he could finish up what he needed to quickly.

“Excuse me, you’re not supposed to be back here,” a woman focused directly on Sam with an extremely annoyed tone.

After he took a good look at her, he realized this was the same chick who was eyeing Gabriel.  Before he could open his mouth, Gabriel leaned backwards, popping out from behind Sam and saying, “Hey, girl!  He’s with me, just needed to look something up for Miss Meg.  And now we’ll be outta your hair.”

He was shutting the computer down, the woman’s eyes lingering, and momentarily flitted back to Sam.  She wondered aloud, “Isn’t this the man who was in the ER the other day?”

“I’m right here,” Sam cut in, “You can ask me.”

She huffed and rolled her eyes, “I apologize, but you weren’t conscious for most of it.  After all, you were moved right up to a room after you were put out of commission by a simple numbing injection.  You’d think with your size—”

“We’ve gotta jet,” Gabriel smoothly interjected, and took Sam’s hand into his own, wondering aloud, “Why you giving my boyfriend hell?  We could all go down from one, simple injection—depends what the syringe is filled with.  I hope your day gets a little brighter, because, damn—I thought _I_  was having a shitty day until I saw your mood.”

“Gabriel! I didn’t mean it like that, I—” she attempted to laugh it off, but Sam was beyond smug as Gabriel tugged him along.

Sam squeezed his hand once they were in the general public’s area, rather than behind the scenes and whispered, “Thank you. I don’t know what she had against me, but—”

“I do.  Don’t worry about it.”  Normally, being told to back down was the last thing Sam wanted, and would adhere to.  Except, when Gabriel tugged Sam towards him and pecked a kiss to his cheek, he couldn’t find it in himself to care.

There were bigger fish to fry.  There was a meet.  They had to head out.

\--------------------

The instant that the script was in Dean Winchester's hand (unfortunately for Meg, they were Facebook friends by association) was the moment they knew they’d gotten her.

Dean had went ahead and called a buddy of his—a cop who worked in the local PD—giving him the rundown about what was happening, and how they were the ones getting him the evidence.  He rattled off the information, so there wouldn’t be any form of police entrapment that the defense attorney’s could work with.  There was no denying Dean's absolute _thrill_ of using the words 'vigilante justice' wherever and whenever he could.

Of course, Dean was a decoy and Gabriel had forged her writing, but the photographic proof was undeniable.  And the actual evidence?

Very, very obtainable.  

They’d worked fast, so fast in fact: Ruby's new message relayed Meg was only now beginning to stir.

Timing was everything, and it was getting tighter by the minute.

\----------------------

“Holy shit, does this feel amazing!”  Dean clattered their glasses together, as he, Gabriel, Sam and Ruby ended the night with a celebration.  “You guys have earned this!”

When the time had come, the officials didn’t need a warrant, because Ruby eagerly swung open the door, letting them into the apartment.  Her name was on the lease, she wasn't at fault, and more than anything—she wanted it over, too. 

Meg was caught, red-handed, with the prescription pad in her purse.  The real kicker was the fun fact that a K-9 unit had been in the area, and—with Ruby’s permission once more—they found that Meg had been sitting on her own stash of narcotics.  A _superbly_ criminal amount. 

It was a fantastic fucking day when justice was actually served.

“Hell yes, we did!”  Sam agreed wholeheartedly, and turned to Ruby.  “You were our MVP, Rubes.  And…I’m sorry.  I’m sorry I assumed the worst about you, before I knew the truth.  I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions like that, you’re better than that.  Than Meg’s evil master plans.”

With a grin, Ruby reached for the shot that was sitting in front of her.  “Thanks.  God, I’ve dreamed of this for so long, being trapped in that lease with her was like being a prisoner, but I had to keep going.”  She tossed back the shot, then stole a glance between Sam and Gabriel, both.  “I’m so happy you two can get a second chance.

“Ah, this is a celebration, let’s not get too sappy,” Gabriel swatted at her and followed suit, grabbing his own shot.  “It really does feel damn good, right?”

Sam was careful as he watched Gabriel, wondering if the man was rethinking their second chance.  Or maybe the way things ended wasn’t the way he’d projected it playing out in his own head.  There was a bit of liquid courage working in Sam’s favor (which was _also_ probably why he was openly staring—shit) so he went for it.

“Was it what you wanted?  Revenge?” he wondered, ready to study his reaction with a watchful eye.

Gabriel paused with his lips pressed up against the rim of his pint and blinked, as if to think over the answer, like there was a correct one.  Except, Sam didn’t want the ‘right’ answer, he wanted the truth.  His harrowing and amplifying bitchface was proof of that, and Gabriel had a full-blown view.

“It was what she deserved.  Our work paid off.  Now that I think about it, it wasn’t revenge.  It was justice.  And I feel damn happy karma made her rounds,” Gabriel replied, and from where Sam stood…it sounded sincere.

His brow scrunched when he asked, “Is there a but?”

Prefaced with a wistful sigh, Gabriel admitted, “If only putting Meg away put away all the damage she caused, you know?  I should’ve expected that wouldn’t change a thing, but—”

Suddenly, Ruby raised her glass and cut him off with the toast, “To moving forward!”

“Here, here!” Dean heartily exclaimed, maybe _too_ heartily, where his beer sloshed over the edge and splashed down on the table.  "Uh, oops."

“All righty,” Gabriel nodded, meeting Sam’s eyes with a genuineness, “To moving forward.”

And Sam believed him.

\-----------------------

The evening carried on, their victory party continued until last call—which they’d not anticipated.  This morning, all the way through the frantic, chaotic day, to the way things had wrapped up...it had been _exhausting_.  While they needed the chance to kick back and chill out, they were at a crossroads.

Dean had paid for everyone's tab, and after a round of drunken-Ruby-hugs (which were rarer than a solar eclipse) Gabriel and Sam were left to walk down the street.  They were at an impasse, leaning against one another, their fingers intertwined, neither wanting to rock the boat.

It wasn’t until they found a bench at the edge of the park that they even began chatting.  While Gabriel sunk into Sam’s warmth, (of course) it was the latter who began to speak.

“I really, really don’t want to sleep without you next to me, Gabe.”  It was a hushed, hesitant statement, because the entirety of today had focused around the subject of their _undoing_ , it had not been about _them_.

For Sam to bring it back to them, their relationship, their love…he could only pray that Gabriel was on the same wavelength.  He went on to say, “I’m not talking about sex either, don’t worry.  I just wanna be with you.  Every second I can, and every chance I get.  So hopefully you’re still feeling the same.”

“You know, I almost forgot.  It seems so fucking long ago…” Gabriel was thinking out loud, “I’ll take you up on that offer, so long as I get breakfast in bed.”  He tilted his chin a flashed Sam a downright impish smirk.

“That means we're going back to my place tonight?”  Sam was hopeful.  “Is that…okay?”

“I don’t wanna sleep without you beside me either, Sammy.”  Gabriel slowly stood up, and when he did with Sam still on the bench, Gabriel bent at the waist and kissed Sam’s lips.

It was so sweet and tender—Sam’s hands immediately shot upward to cup Gabriel’s cheek and run through his hair.  This kind of contact, kind of touch was so fleeting in the hectic mess of today, when it was all Sam wanted.  This was what they were fighting for, and hopefully—Sam prayed Gabriel was willing—this was just the beginning.

Gabriel hummed against his lips and, when he began to retreat, Sam pulled him back in.

Kissed him harder.  Until he was breathlessly moaning into Sam’s mouth.

At that point, neither could control themselves, and Gabriel had to physically grab Sam’s shoulders to gain even a small bit of leverage to part them.  When he did and he stared at Sam…he licked his lips, hungry with desire, as he grumbled, “We really need a cab—”

“I love you so much, Gabriel—”

The words came so naturally to Sam, but this time it felt like he was trying to convince Gabriel to love him back.  Like he was worth it, but there was never a question in Gabriel's mind.  Sam was worth more to him than anything in the goddamn world.

“You’re amazing, kiddo.”  His breath was hot against Sam’s lips, causing a shudder to shake his body.  “We gotta go.  Or else we’ll be sharing a cell with Meg for indecent exposure.  Kind of defeats the point and ruins our hard work, doesn’t it?”

“You’re right.  Of course,” Sam laughed, and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.  “Okay, let’s get a cab.”

Luckily, the area was a hot-spot this time of night, even if they had wandered a ways from the bar.  All the taxis were northbound, easily able to see Gabriel flagging them while on their route downtown.  They were on their way back to Sam’s in no time.

On the drive, both men knew that tonight, just like last night, would be what they’d alluded to.

Sleeping.

No matter how intensely they craved each other, no matter how lost they found themselves in those moments—that last, final spike and crash of urgent lust and passionate love?  It was what did them in.  They were trying not to nod off and fall asleep in the backseat, thank God, their sense of humors weren’t dampened.  They’d poke and prod each other playfully, keeping the other awake in the most childish, but effective, way they could think of.

As they wandered up to Sam’s door and soon, to his bedroom, they barely had it in them to get undress.  Sam had to stress, “No dirty clothes in the bed.  ‘Specially if they smell like smoke or liquor.”

“You always were a neat freak, you know?” Gabriel recalled with affection, helping Sam tug off his pants, while Sam helped with his shirt.

Team work makes the dream work, and all that.

“And you took advantage of every second.  You didn’t have to clean a thing when we were together, ‘cause I did it for you.”  Sam finally kicked off his last sock and tackled Gabriel to the bed, collapsing against him instantly.  “It’s good I like you.  And cleaning.”

Gabriel scooted around to pull the comforter over them both.  “Still have no idea how I got so lucky.  Twice.”  He added the last word, as though it was a surprise, even as it left his mouth.  “Wow.  This…is our second shot.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling you.  Even _before_ you took care of Meg.  I never needed that.  Not like you did.  I…”  Sam sighed and held Gabriel closer.  “I only needed you.”

“I’m…getting that now.  Thank fuck you stuck around.”  Gabriel smiled, feeling at peace.  “Now let’s get some sleep, okay?  I’ll probably be ducking out early, though.  I’ve got a shift at the hospital.  There should be some huge shake-up with news of Meg, but I’m not gonna let anyone guilt me into more hours than I can take.”

Sam hopefully asked, “If we’re rested…wanna pick up where we left off, then?”

“Damn right, I do.”  Gabriel’s arms looped around Sam tightened one more time.  “This is a great plan.  And it’s ours.  It's only you and me, from now on.  Just as it should be.”

“Damn right,” Sam repeated with a dopey grin.  “I can’t wait for tomorrow, and I won't take tonight for granted.  Sweet dreams.”

“G’night, babe.”  He whispered the words, watching Sam instantly dozing off and even though Gabriel should have—his thoughts wandered in the final minutes before he eventually crashed.  
  
His perspective had blown wide open, it had changed.  Now that Meg (the narrow, short-sighted goal he assumed would fix everything) had been taken care of Gabriel realized he had everything all along.  Right here.  
  
Sure, he was beyond thrilled with their work, but it reminded him how different he was _with_ Sam.  He evened Gabriel out.  Sam made him think when he was impulsive.  Turned his volatile nature into something more level-headed.  Sam made him feel safe, instead of reckless.  
  
Today, Gabriel had acted as an individual trying to solve a problem, and he was too stubborn to see the whole picture.    
  
Right now, he was sinking into the comfortable space of what it felt like to be with Sam, as a unit, a partner—it was so much better.  If he wasn't already clocked out, Gabriel would have told him, but then again Sam probably knew.  It was Gabriel who needed time to figure it out.  Thank God Sam was patient.    
  
The age-old expression about tomorrow being a new day?  
  
Yeah, that applied to outlooks, and maybe even Gabriel, himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for SPN Fluff Bingo  
> Square Filled: Breakfast in Bed


End file.
